Interview | O.T.B (Phaxe & Vice)

MCBN: You two have both got very impressive solo projects, could you let us know how you first met and decided on creating the project of O.T.B?

We have been sparring partners for many years, finally deciding to join forces around January 2013. Both of us learning a ton of tricks from one another and trying to push our productions, sound wise, and idea wise. We actually had a ton of vs tracks in the making with only a few seeing a release, the latest before O.T.B being one worth mentioning, Phaxe & Vice – It’s always sunny.

MCBN: How would you describe the sound and or style of O.T.B? Are there lots of similarities when looking at your styles and writing music together?

Our sound and or style can be described as the result of some good and fun studio sessions. We are not trying to hit a particular sound as to say, we are more focused on trying out some different ideas that we may hear in other types of music, and combining them with what we know from progressive trance. We are quite strong and different producers so we spend a lot of time teaching each other new tricks or ideas, many of which lead to a loop being born that eventually leads to a new track. We get our inspiration from a lot of different music, from deep house, and ambient, to radio hits and drum & bass, we simply enjoy music.

MCBN: How long ago did you guys meet? Give us a little background into the project of O.T.B?

We met a long time ago in Copenhagen at a big venue, Kevin was performing a dj-set and I (Martin) was impressed by his mix and grabbed a hold of him after his set, finding out that he was a fellow Dane just starting to release some tracks under his name “Phaxe”

At that time I was working on Time in motion, and as we were also just starting to release tracks, we sort of found it natural to hang out and started to do some collaboration. With time and a lot more collaboration ideas going on, we decided to launch the project together.

MCBN: What is your perfect time to play at an outdoor festival, morning, afternoon or night?

We think the perfect times of day to play at an outdoor festival would be around afternoon, but we do enjoy any time of day really.

MCBN: Who parties harder out of you two, just so we know who to send the tequila too? Who would drink who under the table?

We both love a good drink once in a while but we do think seriously about living from music and playing around the world, which means that we don’t get drunk on the job. When the jobs done however… We are both disagreeing on who’s drinking who under the table, pass the tequila please.

MCBN: What can we expect from O.T.B in Cape Town at Sirius?

Expect our take on pumping progressive sounds. We’re going to be playing a lot of new tracks, and testing a lot of new material, and looking forward to see the response.

MCBN: Who are your favourite producers to work with? Who do think are doing great things in the Progressive Psytrance scene?

We like to produce with Morten Granau, Flowjob, Naughty Notes, Zyce, and Audiomatic. We think Astrix, Royal flush, Ticon, Perfect stranger, Protoculture, Riddler, Tezla and Zyce are all being original and producing their own style which is influencing the scene and also giving us a lot of inspiration.

MCBN: South Africa, more so Cape Town, has a thriving trance scene. What are your thoughts on our scene? Do you know many South African artists?

Phaxe, says from firsthand experience that the South African scene rocks! There are a lot of good producers there and a lot of attention to the South African scene from around the globe seems like there’s a lot of parties going on so that’s great news. We know a few South African artists such as Headroom, Sad Paradise, Protoculture, Max graham to name a few inspiring and great musicians.

MCBN: What are your top three tracks you can’t ever leave home without?

Really tough question, we both find new favourite tracks on a weekly basis so we are constantly bringing the new tracks, whether it being trance or and other kinds of music.

MCBN: If you could have drinks with 3 people, dead or alive, who would it be?

Another tough question, we think it’s fair to say that there’s sooo many people that we would want to have a drink with, as long as they have good vibes and a sense of humor. Anyone is welcome really. But if we really do have to answer, then we would want to have a brew with Leonardo Da Vinci, Dan Hessner, Bob Marley.

MCBN: And for our final “WOULD YOU RATHER QUESTION” – Would you rather live your life for half the amount of time but be incredibly rich or live double the length of your life but never be rich?

Define rich? If rich means in terms of financial wealth, then we’d both choose double the length of our lives and never be rich. If it’s rich in experiences and happiness then we both would go for a short happy life.

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Rumoured to have the blue-prints for Krang's TechnoDrome, stolen straight from Dimension X, he’s the type of guy who exudes so much coolness that he adds whole countries on Facebook at one time instead of just people.
Always up for a party and a Tequila shot or two this is the guy who we always call first, both before and after a night out…

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